Shelly Jones lives by the motto, “Keep moving forward.” After losing 57 pounds, she was waylaid by knee surgery and other external forces beyond her control. Though she’s been frustrated by the lack of movement on the scale, she knows there are other methods to chart her success including the way her body feels, the healthy choices she makes and in the way her clothes fit.
When Shelly went swimsuit shopping this summer she said she almost started crying. “I realized how much smaller I looked in the mirror and how much better I feel.” Regarding the picture below, Shelly admitted, ” That girl in the first two pictures, while happy, was miserable.”
More from Shelly in her own words:
Tell me when your weight struggles began. My weight struggles started when I was a child. Many of my fondest memories have food in them. I am not sure at what point I became fat, but I can recall being made fun of as early as 3rd grade.
What habits specifically led you to gain weight? God created me a little on the sensitive side with a flare for drama and these emotions were handled with food. They still are to this day. As much as I showed my emotions, I covered them up inside, calorie after calorie.
What caused you to realize you needed to change? I have always known I needed to change, I just had difficulty making it happen. I do not want to pass down a legacy of bad food choices, dependence on food, or an unhealthy body weight or image to my girls.
What diet and exercise methods did you employ? I count calories and over the journey I have carb-cycled or eaten paleo-ish. I’ve been eating cleaner foods and limiting processed stuff. I work out at the gym and really found a love for CrossFit through Kodiak CrossFit.
Did you have any “ah ha” moments along the way? I had many “ah ha” moments. One moment was trying out for a popular weight loss show. This process helped restart my journey that had stalled due to knee surgery. CrossFit gave me many moments as well. It helped show me that I am capable of more.
Biggest struggle in your journey? My biggest struggle has been physical setbacks like knee surgery, pneumonia and numerous dental issues.
Biggest triumphs? I’ve had several notable triumphs that made me happy: These include doing a hand-stand, my third 5K in November with my husband (his 1st), and still learning how to allow Christ to fill the space that food did.
Current/future goals? I am currently participating in Weight Loss for Warriors. I set a goal to lose 20 pounds during that time. I have been fighting about 10 pounds since I had surgery. The goal is to get back down and then some. I would love to run another 5K, but I will have to see how my knees do.
Advice you’d give to other people struggling to lose weight? Weight loss is more than losing pounds. You have to look at the issues that food covers up. Be honest with yourself. Do what works for you. Journal or start a blog, it helps hold you accountable. Know you are worth it because you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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